INEC Chairman Defends Use of AI in Election Management

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has defended the use of artificial intelligence in election management, saying the technology can improve electoral administration despite the risks of misuse by malicious actors.

Amupitan said AI could make election processes more efficient through improved voter registration, logistics planning, data analysis and the management of large voter databases.

He spoke on Monday at The Beyond the Ballot Summit in Abuja, where he noted that electoral management bodies across the world were increasingly adopting AI-assisted processes to strengthen election planning and administrative efficiency.

“Artificial Intelligence, AI, is not an enemy of democracy,” he said.

However, the INEC chairman warned that the growing accessibility of generative AI tools had made it easier for individuals and groups to create deceptive content capable of undermining public confidence in elections.

He said technologies that once required significant technical expertise and resources, including voice cloning of public figures and realistic videos of election officials making false announcements, were now accessible at relatively low cost.

According to Amupitan, such tools could be exploited to manipulate voters, spread disinformation and target weaknesses in the electoral process.

His remarks come as INEC prepares for the 2027 general election and considers integrating artificial intelligence into Nigeria's electoral system.

The planned adoption of AI has raised concerns about the possible spread of fabricated announcements, manipulated audio recordings and realistic videos that could impersonate public officials, mislead voters and disrupt election administration.

The concerns have also been heightened by the discovery of questionable photographs in INEC's preliminary Register of Voters.

Some of the images, suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence, appeared in voter records in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, raising questions about the integrity of the database and the processes used to capture and verify registration information.

INEC subsequently acknowledged the questionable records and said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding their appearance.

The commission's Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, said some of the images were linked to irregularities allegedly introduced by registration officers with access to the system.

INEC has maintained that the register remains preliminary and is subject to verification, data cleaning and correction before the final register is certified.

The commission has also said its adoption of technology would be guided by the need to strengthen the credibility, transparency and efficiency of the electoral process.

As preparations for the 2027 elections continue, the challenge for the commission will be to harness the administrative benefits of artificial intelligence while addressing the risks of misinformation, impersonation and digital manipulation.